E. A. Bowles
of
Myddelton House Society

About The Society | The Society's Early History
E A Bowles Memorial Award | E A Bowles Society Archive

About The Society

The E A Bowles of Myddelton House Society is a charitable society set up to further interest in the life and work of plantsman E A Bowles and the conservation of his garden at Myddelton House, Enfield. The Society meets at Myddelton House three times a year with a lecture in spring and autumn and the AGM in April. In addition the Society hosts two garden open days on Easter Monday and in May with a tulip tea to celebrate Mr Bowles' birthday and supports the LVRPA Greenery Day in December. Society members sell plants and provide tea and home made cakes. In recent years we have also had organised trips to Wisley to see the Bowles corner and to the RHS Lindley Library to see a selection of Bowles' paintings which are held there. A number of Society members are regular garden volunteers and there is a Society garden working day once a year.

Edward Augustus Bowles (1865-1954) lived and gardened at Myddelton House in Enfield. He was an accomplished artist, entomologist, botanist, an entertaining and knowledgeable writer who travelled widely with many eminent plant hunters of the day. First and foremost his interest was in plants and he leaves many cultivars as his legacy. Crocuses were one of his many passions and in 2004 Roger Holland (Society Chairman) embarked upon the task of gathering and maintaining a collection of Crocus chrysanthus with the view to attaining National Collection status.

Myddelton House garden is now owned by the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority and the Society works closely with the Authority to support the garden with members sitting on the Garden Advisory Group. The Society supports the garden through financial donations and Society members give practical support as garden volunteers. The last major garden project to which the Society contributed was funding supports for the historic Wisteria raised from seed by EAB over 100 years ago.
In 2004 on the 50th anniversary of the death E A Bowles, the Society embarked on a major fundraising drive to establish a biennial student award to commemorate his lifelong interest and contribution to education. The award is administrated by the RHS and due to the success of this project two awards have subsequently been given in 2004 and 2006.

The Society maintains a small archive of letters, papers and artefacts related to E A Bowles and Society members are involved with archiving the E A Bowles correspondence held at the RHS Lindley Library. In 2003 the E A Bowles Society embarked on a major fundraising drive to establish a biennial student award to commemorate Mr Bowles interest and contribution to education. In 2004 on the 50th anniversary of his death the inaugural E A Bowles Award was made with a second award in 2006. The award is administrated by the RHS (www.rhs.org.uk).